Photovoltaics are the way to go.. Article CMail 30.8.17

[Expresspete]

Thanks guys

[Dominic]

Do you have an app you can use to monitor your panels? We had a voltage issue, and you could see this because once the reading on the panels got above a certain value (around 3500), it would reboot, and start again, so our generated power was lower than it should have been. If you haven't got an app, just look at the panel readout itself.

[Expresspete]

Hi Dominic, yes I have an app (Fronius) and it is reporting good production if I knew how to upload a screenshot (I’m a techno phobe) of the production I would put it on here.

[trevnhil]

Just as a matter of interest our panels have made 9.1 kw today up to 2-45 pm The sun is getting low now and around to 90 degrees to the side of the panels, so there will be practically no more added to today's input.

[PaphosAL]

Can you check again around dusk, Trev? You might be in for a pleasant surprise...

AL

[Dominic]

On what do you base that assumption Al?

Incidently Expresspete, you have to bear in mind also that the reading shown on your electricity meter will not be the amount of electricity that the panels have generated. It will be the surplus electricity the panels have generated, and returned to the grid. If you have a pool heater running, for instance, electricity used for that will not show on the reading. To find that value, you need to use the software that monitors the panels.

[trevnhil]

Can you check again around dusk, Trev? You might be in for a pleasant surprise...

AL

The total for the day was 9.4kw and it has been a day with hazy cloud..

But that is fine, I think our average consumption is around 12 units. But on the last bill we still had around 450units in credit..

[PaphosAL]

So maybe it's about daylight, as well as direct sunlight onto the PV panels, Trev? Can Max perhaps comment on this, please?

As there are a few houses around me (all pitched and tiled roofs) that have the PV panels facing east, west, and even north! I queried this with one of the installers, and that is what he told me. Light, not Sun...

[trevnhil]

I would partially agree with 'light not sun' But really there is very little input on a totally cloudy day, ie daylight but no sunlight.

[Dominic]

The installer was talking junk. Why else do they build panels that actually rotate to be facing the right orientation throughout the day?

[cyprusmax47]

So maybe it's about daylight, as well as direct sunlight onto the PV panels, Trev? Can Max perhaps comment on this, please?

Yes I can confirm that with a little daylight the PV panels (modules) produce already electricity. (OK not much but they do!) I have several panels for testing in different sizes (15 Wp, 20 Wp, 50 Wp, 250 Wp) and the smaller ones run DC fans from the first light in the morning, well before sun rise...

If you have p.e. a calculator with a tiny solar cell, it is working with the light of a small LED torch indoors at night...try it !

Max

[Dominic]

(OK not much but they do!)

This is the key point. Al was told by the engineer that orientation didn't matter. I contend this is junk. I contend that orientation is important.

I can understand why Al questioned the engineer. I would too.

[cyprusmax47]

(OK not much but they do!)

This is the key point. Al was told by the engineer that orientation didn't matter. I contend this is junk. I contend that orientation is important.

I can understand why Al questioned the engineer. I would too.

The key point was if solar panels produce also without sun shining on them! Of course orientation is important, but this was not the question as far as I can see, or did I miss something?

Max

[Dominic]

Yes, this was what Al had been told:

So maybe it's about daylight, as well as direct sunlight onto the PV panels, Trev? Can Max perhaps comment on this, please?

As there are a few houses around me (all pitched and tiled roofs) that have the PV panels facing east, west, and even north! I queried this with one of the installers, and that is what he told me. Light, not Sun...

The last paragraph. I presumed Al had queried the installer why it was going north facing, and he had been told that it didn't matter.

[trevnhil]

And I would say, of course it matters. My understanding is that the best direction for PV panels to face is South.
If you have spare land, or a flat roof, then you may well be able to have them facing in this ideal direction.
But if you have to utilise an existing sloping roof (as many do) then they may have to face towards the South West or the South East.
Ours are facing almost directly South East and we do very well with them.